responsible London

It’s up to the people of London to decide what kind of environment they want to leave their children with - do they want to leave them with better or worse than what we have now. If we want to help the future generations about the climate/environmental problems they are going to face, we have to start now. Whatever problems they will have in the future is the cumulative effects of what we, our current generations, are badly doing now. Do we want to leave our children with untidy surroundings, where thousands of plastic bags are scattered anywhere and blown by wind everywhere? Warmer climate because of disappearing ozone layer?

There are solutions to these issues, but today’s generation has to decide if we want to contribute to the solution or keep on messing. The longer we mess the worse will be the problems in the future. One simple solution we can do is planting more trees in our area, or maximising planting whereever we can. Trees, or any other plants, are one of the basic sources we need, yet we’re taking it for granted - cutting more and more of it without replacing and even destroying the land areas to develop to something more residential or industrial. Even here in London we can do something. We can re-asses our community development plans and include more plants in the landscapes. London can be creative and can show other metropolitan areas that it can be done. We need to be planting more to make it a sustainable source for future generations.

Another solution is being more responsible consumers when possible. Consuming products made from sustainable products and fairly traded. We’re not only responsible for the environment, for future generations, but we’re also responsible for other people. How can we wear our clothing, eat our food and use our accessories produced/made by people working in inhumane conditions? Or made by underpaid child labors? There are many manufacturers who still provide the same products we use today who are responsible in their tradings, we just have to know them. We don’t need to sacrifice our lifestyle.

The choice is with us on which direction we want to go. Sometimes, the right decision is the more difficult choice, but we have to see the big picture.

the guui bag

We believe that we are in a position to give everybody that little push to go the extra mile to become greener.

So if you are out looking for a functional carrier bag (ours come with short and long handles and has the room for your shopping), why not do a bit more? Go for one made out of Fairtrade, organic cotton. Not only do you reuse, saving thousands of plastics going into the landfill, you also buy into ethical trading and organic farming.

Get the guui bag here.

greenwash 101: the eco hotel

A lot of manufacturers have already realised the importance of having a green credential. More and more customers have been asking how their products are manufactured - can they be more eco-friendly, what is their stand on environmental issues?

And whilst a lot have made the necessary changes. Others have resorted to greenwash.

I’ve seen a lot on the grocery shelves. With big words- ‘environmental’, ‘eco-friendly’, ‘WWF’. But look closely, and you see nothing more. They don’t say why they’re environmental. They don’t say what steps they’re taking. It’s like buying their product just magically transforms you.

Recently, the husband and I booked a trip to the continent. Travelling by the now ‘carbon neutral’ eurostar and staying in an eco-friendly hotel - this trip is promising to be not too bad for our carbon footprint.

I booked a train and hotel deal, so really, the hotel being an ‘eco’ one was a bonus that I did not quite expect. But I did wonder why the credential of being ‘eco’ was in the smaller prints.

So we got there. And looked through their brochures and did not find any explanation as to how they became eco-friendly. There was a sign in the bathroom saying we should reuse our towels and to hang them if we don’t want them replaced. Another sign by the door reminds guests to turn off the lights before leaving. But was this enough to say they were an eco friendly hotel? I mean, isn’t every other hotel doing this already? Because it makes sense - as a hotel, not only do you save precious resources, you save money as well. All for printing and displaying a few signs.

But still, being greenwashed once too many times is just making me feel a bit stupid.

the not so free paper

Most of the time, I carry a book and some technical materials (read: boring stuff i need to read!) with me. But, there are just days that I wanted a non-challenging read - maybe to pore over the latest news, and gossips (sshhh!!), and maybe the latest must haves.

So, yes, never mind that the articles are poorly written or that it’s a rehash of something we have read like a week ago in another paper or in the internet, the free newspapers do come in handy sometimes.

Everybody else usually leave their paper on the train, I guess it became a habit for most. As most of the time, it gets picked up by another person dying for something to read. Quite considerate, if you think about it.

Most of the time people think that leaving litter is quite antisocial, and why it doesn’t apply to leaving newspapers as well still baffles me. You’ve probably left your paper on the seat, or at the back of the seat, or even stuffed them in between the seats. But, I’ve seen people just dropping them wherever, without looking back. Grown men. Professional looking, well-dressed people. It just seemed acceptable, and nobody else would raise an eyebrow. Either that, or we are too polite to tell them off - I am guilty of this, though at times I stare them to death, but to no avail as they had their backs turned to me anyway.

It’s an eyesore. And it could be dangerous as people are likely to slip on them in stairwells.

Aside from that, they’re most likely to end up in the landfill.

The cleaning fairies do exist to clean up after us. London Underground staff, and people from one of the afternoon free papers regularly pick up what we’ve dropped. Keeping the eyesore to a minimum and nobody slips and sue them.

6,500 tons of our garbage, mostly paper, is left on the Metronet-maintained trains and stations each year. Only about half can be sent for sorting and recycling, though improvements to these figures are being made and a further 21 tonnes each week are being recycled.

Some 1.5 million of these free paper are given away in and around London each day. Note that this article is still in 2006. There are certainly more of them around today. An interesting aspect in this article is that, we are all paying for those “free” paper in the form of our council tax - for clearing up, to be put into the landfill, incinerated or recycled. Not to mention the costs to the environment. I think our council tax can be of better use elsewhere.

It might be helpful to note, that at least some of these free papers are doing something to help. Publisher of London Lite and the London Paper, have each installed 35 bins in the West End and Victoria. And the London Paper “uses environmentally friendly ink that can be broken down without specialist recycling techniques”. Too little help, I think, but it is a start.

Meanwhile, I think I’ll just stick to my books and technical reads to keep me entertained in the Underground. I don’t really want the free papers to print any more copies for my sake.

eco setbacks

You’ve had the best intentions. You’re out to save the earth. And then…you forgot your shopping bag. Or you realise your coffee flask is still sitting in the sink and you’re running out the door.

It does take a while. It’s like forming a habit. Well, it IS forming a habit.

I remember I took to using reusable bags a couple of years ago. And every other trip to the grocery, I’d forget. This is still happening to me last year. Now I don’t forget them on shopping days but keep forgetting to keep a reusable bag in my bag for those impromptu shopping sprees.

Now that I got my flask, I start to forget again. There are days that it’s still in my bag waiting to go into the sink just when I’m already runnning late.

Most of the time, I’d forgo a coffee rather than get a disposable cup. But other times, well, I just got to have a coffee.

And remember that out of the way coffee shop with fairtrade coffee and organic milk? I was in a hurry once, and in need of caffeine and ran to the nearest one to the platform.

But this is no new year’s resolution. It’s much more than that. It’s a resolve to make my difference. I can be forgetful, and I can waver when pushed. But my intentions are there. I just need to keep working at it. Wish me luck.